 |
| East Ventura to Venice via Malibu |
The Mundane & Authenticity
 |
| Ventura Buddhist Center |
Truth be told, we didn't actually stay in Los Angeles. In fact, my awesome aunt owns a rental house up on the east side of Ventura- a lovely semi-rural area nestled between orange & avocado groves and the Ventura Buddhist center. Since the house was between renters in May, she happily let us stay there for our time in the area and, on a good traffic day, it's just over an hour from her place to West LA. One small problem: her washing machine was on the fritz so Monday morning started off with the rather mundane task of marching bags of laundry to the nearby Saticoy Coin Op before we could get on with the day. No matter: at least it gave me a brisk and heavy mile walk before driving again!
 |
| Sabor Decor |
Next decision? Which route to take. It seemed obvious to me that a Monday morning drive along the Pacific Coast Highway would be ideal: not only would the usual weekend automotive masses be mercifully light, but the sights would be spectacular. A narrow ribbon of tarmac precarious teetering between the parched Santa Monica Mountains and the mighty Pacific Ocean, this drive is one of the greats... when it's not inundated by thousands of land whales from the inland deserts, trying and failing to find beach camp parking on a busy weekend. So by the time we finished with our morning mundanity, it was creeping up on an early lunch so we figured: what better place to spend lunch that at a VERY authentic taqueria in Oxnard? Sabor was right off the downtown Oxnard Plaza and it featured a fabulous chips & salsa bar, succulent carnitas tacos as well as my favorite, fresh fish tacos. This place is a DIVE in the best possible way: local only traffic, cheap prices, and quick service in a friendly but unassuming atmosphere. They even had beer although 10:45 am was a little too early for suds even for me. Finally, there was plenty of parking, nothing to sneeze at in a beach town!
Coastal Cruise
 |
| Thornhill Sanddune Near Malibu |
We hit the best part of our drive around noon, making the broad turn at Point Hueneme, moving straight towards the ocean and then along the coast. I try and make this drive at least once a year and now that I have a car that actually likes hugging the curves, the cruise was driving pleasure incarnate. From remarkable vistas of the Channel Islands- hovering like dark opaque clouds on the horizon- to the staggering geology of wind & water swept chaparral of the mountains, this little slice of driving heaven is also prone to avalanche, fire, earthquake, and mudslides. Hey, who said paradise comes without a price? We cruised through the 27 miles of razor thin Malibu in record time, gawking at homes of the rich and famous, marveling at the beauty of the Pepperdine University campus standing like an academic sentinel over the celebrities below, and regretting that we didn't have time to stop at a BRAND NEW brewpub that didn't even come up my searches before leaving on this trip. Don't worry: I'll be back, little taproom!
The End of I-10
 |
| Main Streets finest brews |
My sis was more than eager to share some very amusing (and not for this page) stories of some adventures she had in the Santa Monica area so it seems fitting that as we broke out of the Malibu area and gazed upon the familiar site of the Santa Monica Pier, we were both ready for some libations. Santa Monica- the terminus for the nearly 2500 mile long Interstate 10- is surprisingly not known for their brewpubs but they do have a quite notable AleHouse, the Library AleHouse, right in the heart of their trendy shopping district along Main Street, just south of the the famous 3rd Street walking mall and Venice Beach, our ultimate destination. In fact, we secured excellent and cheap parking only about a mile walk to Venice so we could enjoy a few without having to worry about driving again for many hours.
 |
| Big menu of brews - Library AleHouse |
At this time in the afternoon on a Monday, Library was quiet and serene, their back patio empty and their bar with just a few regular patrons... and us. Last time I came to this place, on a Saturday, it was a challenge even getting a table, with customers out the door waiting to tuck into their widely varied and interesting bunch offerings. Personally, their food was (and is) secondary to their remarkable beer selection. While they don't brew any of their own libations, they have a huge menu of craft brews (and ciders!) from all over the country, heavy emphasis on west coast offerings.
And it was here, at this place, on this day, that I had a startling revelation: I love, l-o-v-e, LOVE, Berlinerweisse! And sours! And wild ales! And....
 |
| Berlinerweisse |
The legend says that the original brewers of Berlinerweisse in Germany produced the slightly sour taste they are famous for by burying the beer in warm earth during the summer months, akin to the traditional Korean method of making Kimchi by burying the cabbage and spices so as to produce a control fermentation and rot. Well, whatever the case may be, most modern sours are produced not by entombing but rather by doing a secondary fermentation with Lactobacillus, a bacteria that vigorously increases the fermentation and contributes to the sour characteristics. Frankly, the beer geek in me is fascinated by this process so much that I have a substantial obsession these days with all things fermented, from beers to kombucha to kraut & kimchi to pickles & yogurt. So when I ordered our flights, there was a heavy emphasis on the sours, with a few fruit beers thrown in for good measure.
 |
| Weihenstephaner Vitus |
As usual, my sis was a game student and happily went along with my obsession, starting with a (sadly) ordinary sour from New Belgium, a brewery that continues to underwhelm. That was followed by a fabulous wild ale called Tangerine De Brettaville from Almanac Brewing Company in San Francisco. A farmhouse wild ale, aged in oak barrels and fermented with tangerines and oranges and a formidable quantity of Citra dry hopping, this bone dry sour was fabulously refreshing and a real eye opening, enjoyed by both of us. We then took a step back in time to the 11th Century AD, when the venerable Weihenstephaner Brewery first opened its doors in the Abbey that bears its name. The medieval beer, Weihenstephaner Vitus (7.7% ABV) is a slightly sour bock, leaning heavily on its pronounced banana and clove nose & finish with a boldly biscuity body in between.
 |
| Apricot Wheat |
A palate cleanser to be sure, the Stiegl Grapefruit Radler (the Germanic equivalent of an English shandy) came it at a measly 2.5% ABV and tasted of an adult and slightly less carbonated Fresca soda. Saisons are also a mild obsession right now as well, which is remarkable since the first one I had I hated (where did that one come from? Yep, you guessed it. New Belgium). In this case, the Saison Brett comes from Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, and definitely leans on the sour end of the varietal, with heavy oak aging contributing to its almost Chardonnay-like finish. Absolutely fabulous! Finally, the favorite of the day- probably owing to how hot the weather was becoming- was an awesome Apricot Wheat coming out of Lost Coast Brewing Company in Eureka, CA. Fruity but bone dry, this sessionable brew was refreshing to the last and belongs on any summer table. It reminds me of another favorite from the very same brewery, the Tangerine Wheat, something I was actually able to find even in New Mexico.
Walking in Venice
 |
| M.I.A. Memorial |
And now the walking began in earnest as we began the hot and sunny walk towards Venice and onto Muscle Beach. We were not set to meet our nearby friend Jefu for another hour or so, affording us time to explore the shops, murals, and monuments that Venice is famous for. The most sober amongst these is the MiA mural, dedicated to our missing GIs, still not accounted for in Southeast Asia. It was a brief and mercifully shady stroll up one of Venice's vaunted "walking streets" that we discovered this reminder of our past ingloriousness and an admonition that we should think twice before we place our young men & women in harm's way.
A new and predictable trend along the Venice boardwalk is the purveyors of medical cannabis prescriptions, which can be secured for a mere $40, allowing you to purchase legal weed at the many dispensaries that dot Los Angeles County. But it all fits in rather neatly in Venice, a little slice of urban bliss where hippies, thugs, hipsters, muscle heads, tourists, and even police all coexist in peaceful habitation. And while the temptation to secure some legal herb did have its virtues, this trip is about beer, writing, and moderation so I abjured that vice for a later date.
When the time was at hand, we made our way to the Venice AleHouse, a hopping and happening "gastropub" right on the Venice boardwalk. Jefu- a friend and partner to another friend for going on 20 years now- was already seated at one of the tables on the small but lively outdoor patio, the even smaller inside area already jammed up with the happy flip flop crowd, ready to dive into pints, mixed drinks, wine, and a varied menu of interesting options. Venice AleHouse is a typically eclectic mix of farm-to-table organic fare and on this day, only one in-house beer, an amazingly hoppy "pale ale" that would be called an IPA in most sane parts of the world (and in fact is labelled as such on Untappd). But throw sanity out the door in Venice, that's what I say!
In fact, the ale house version of a "flight" of beers is a BOAT of beers, with larger pours and even higher prices to match. Overall, it was a predictable menu with even more predictable beers but there was a standout and that was the fabulous Solitary IPA from Institution Ale Company in Camarillo, CA, a place we would visit in person the next day. At a sessionable 4.5% ABV, this tropical-fused IPA is juicy with citra hops, giving it a mango and bright citrus nose, right through to the fabulously refreshing finish. It was a great way to end our visit and an even greater precursor for what we would try in the coming days.
 |
| Venice AleHouse Beer Boat |
Next up: sampling the formidable spoliated barley beverage fare in Ventura County. Don't miss it!
A new and predictable trend along the Venice boardwalk is the purveyors of medical cannabis prescriptions, which can be secured for a mere $40, allowing you to purchase legal weed at the many dispensaries that dot Los Angeles County. But it all fits in rather neatly in Venice, a little slice of urban bliss where hippies, thugs, hipsters, muscle heads, tourists, and even police all coexist in peaceful habitation. And while the temptation to secure some legal herb did have its virtues, this trip is about beer, writing, and moderation so I abjured that vice for a later date.
When the time was at hand, we made our way to the Venice AleHouse, a hopping and happening "gastropub" right on the Venice boardwalk. Jefu- a friend and partner to another friend for going on 20 years now- was already seated at one of the tables on the small but lively outdoor patio, the even smaller inside area already jammed up with the happy flip flop crowd, ready to dive into pints, mixed drinks, wine, and a varied menu of interesting options. Venice AleHouse is a typically eclectic mix of farm-to-table organic fare and on this day, only one in-house beer, an amazingly hoppy "pale ale" that would be called an IPA in most sane parts of the world (and in fact is labelled as such on Untappd). But throw sanity out the door in Venice, that's what I say!
No comments:
Post a Comment